Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction: Injuries to Impact Western Conference Showdown
Updated July 9, 2026
The Phoenix Suns head to Los Angeles for a late-season Western Conference showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. With playoff positioning and momentum before the postseason up for grabs, both teams enter this game with urgency. The Lakers have been one of the stronger home teams in the conference and are trying to optimize their playoff seeding, while the Suns are trying to build momentum before the play-in tournament. Here, I break downt his Suns vs Lakers matchup and make my pick for it in the betting markets.
The Lakers enter this contest with a stronger record and a clear edge at home, where they have consistently produced results. They have also been trending well in recent games, winning four of their last five. But they are without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for this game, which could hurt them in a huge way in this second game of a back-to-back.
The Suns, meanwhile, have shown flashes of strong offensive play but have been more inconsistent overall. Their road form remains a concern, especially against top-tier Western Conference teams. And to make matters worse, the Suns will be without Devin Booker for this game, which could prevent them from taking advantage of all of the injury issues that the Lakers are dealing with.
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Category | Phoenix Suns | Los Angeles Lakers |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 112.8 | 116.3 |
Points allowed per game | 111.4 | 115.2 |
Team Field Goal % | 45% | 50% |
Rebounds per game | 42.9 | 41.1 |
Assists per game | 24.7 | 25.6 |
The numbers point to a slight edge for the Lakers, largely due to their offensive efficiency and home-court advantage. Their ability to shoot at a higher percentage and generate consistent scoring from their primary playmakers gives them a reliable foundation. Even with injury concerns, they have shown enough depth to maintain production. I'll take the Lakers as a slight moneyline underdog here.
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